Chapter 2: He Simply Can't Handle This Job
The little monkey came out, urging me to hurry inside.
I released Zhao Xiangbo, put away the knife, and ignored him. I grabbed the bag from the car and walked to the door.
I could feel Zhao Xiangbo’s sinister gaze fixed on me, but I couldn’t be bothered.
When I was ten, I dared to hold a butcher’s cleaver and fight that butcher tooth and nail.
Someone like him, who had learned a few years of trickery from Master San, was truly not worth my attention.
The little monkey was Master San’s sixth apprentice, named Ning Wei. At eighteen, he was still under 1.4 meters tall.
He was one of the few people at the scrap station who got along relatively well with my sister and me, the other being Master San’s first apprentice, Black Brother.
When knocking on the door, the little monkey glanced back and whispered, “Don’t get mad at that idiot. Yesterday Master San gave him a good beating! The person inside is the one that idiot guaranteed for. He borrowed two hundred from Master San and hasn’t paid back! He brought something to settle the debt, said it’s a family heirloom. Master San sent you to take a look.”
I was curious. “Where’s Liang Ge?”
The little monkey lifted his chin. “Inside.”
Master San’s teaching method was to assign each apprentice a skill suited to their own condition.
Liang Ge specialized in appraising treasures and had already gained a solid reputation in Haizhou.
I had learned a bit of everything, practicing various skills.
Because Sister Yan once said, more skills don’t weigh you down; it’s never a waste to learn more.
Of course, it also depends on aptitude—otherwise, all learning is half-hearted.
The wooden door was already open, and I followed Ning Wei inside.
This was Master San’s reception room. It looked plain, but every item inside was worth a fortune.
In the center stood a tea table carved from a massive tree root over two meters thick, adorned with a ten-piece set of premium red clay purple sand teaware.
Surrounding it were four rosewood chairs with soft cushions.
Master San sat in the chair directly facing the door, holding a heather wood pipe.
Behind him stood a young man as sturdy as a small mountain, with dark skin and large eyes. He nodded at me.
That was Master San’s first apprentice, Wu Zeqiang, nicknamed Blackie.
Ten years ago, he was the one who carried me here.
Liang Ge was crouching by the tea table, brewing tea for Master San.
He frowned slightly when he saw me but quickly turned away, ignoring me.
Opposite Master San sat two middle-aged men in suits—one potbellied and the other wearing glasses.
I carried the bag over to Master San and said, “Master San, my sister went to Mingxiu Mountain to gather some mushrooms and asked me to bring them as a tribute for you.”
Master San nodded. “Good stuff! Yanzi means well. Ning Wei, take it to the kitchen and have Six Fingers make wild mushroom stew with chicken for lunch.”
“Yes!” Ning Wei took the bag and went out.
Liang Ge, noticing I was still standing there, frowned and said, “The stuff’s been taken inside. What are you still doing here? We have business to attend to. Leave quickly!”
Several times when Liang Ge was working, Master San would call me over to stand by and watch.
So Liang Ge was wary of me, as if afraid I’d snatch his place as the third apprentice.
Before I could respond, Master San said beside me, “Stone, stand by my side!”
“Understood, Master San!” I replied and stood beside Master San, flanked by Blackie and me.
Seating here was strictly assigned; whether adopted children or apprentices, anyone entering this room had to stand—no one had the privilege to sit.
Liang Ge’s expression darkened momentarily but quickly returned to normal as he continued brewing tea.
The potbellied man struggled to straighten up in his chair, picked up a scroll tube from the tea table, and said,
“Master San, believe me, this is a genuine treasure!
It’s been passed down in my family for over two hundred years. If you hadn’t pressed me for payment, I wouldn’t have risked using it to repay my debt!
Don’t sell it. Keep it for me.
When I’m financially stable, I’ll redeem it at double the price. How does that sound?”
Master San lowered his head and said to Liang Ge, “Liangzi, take a look.”
“Yes!” Liang Ge stood and walked over to the fat boss, took the scroll tube, and laid it on the side table.
Pointing at Liang Ge, the potbellied man said to his companion, “Teacher Haiqing, this young man is remarkable.
The recent sensation in Haizhou’s antique world—the ‘Five Thousand Big Bargain’—was his doing.”
Teacher Haiqing suddenly realized and pointed at Liang Ge. “Wenliang! Truly impressive for his age!”
The fat boss introduced Teacher Haiqing to Wenliang. “Wenliang brother, do you know him?
Have you watched the ‘Haiqing Treasure Appraisal’ livestream?
He’s a treasure appraisal master with millions of fans!”
Wenliang hurried over and shook Teacher Haiqing’s hand. “So you’re the senior! That’s why you look so familiar. I watch your show every episode and am your fan!”
Master San took a slow drag from his pipe, exhaled, and said in a deep voice, “Why don’t you all sit down for some tea and get to know each other?”
Wenliang quickly let go of Teacher Haiqing’s hand and awkwardly said to Master San, “Master, no need! I have work to do now!”
The fat boss smiled and said to Master San, “I think with two experts here, you can rest assured, right?”
He glanced at me and asked with a smile, “Is this young brother also Master San’s apprentice?”
Liang Ge took out white gloves and put them on casually, saying, “He’s not, but my master did teach him a couple of tricks. If it weren’t for his insufficient innate talent—one eye is blind—his achievements wouldn’t be so low.”
“One eye is blind?” Teacher Haiqing turned to look at me with disdain.
“Appraising treasures requires meticulous attention; you need both eyes to see everything clearly!
If one eye is blind, it means you simply can’t handle this work!”
I looked at them calmly. Because of that eye, I had endured countless discrimination and ridicule since childhood. My heart was already unmoved.
Master San ignored their remarks and leisurely smoked his pipe.
The scroll tube had been opened, and the painting was slowly spread out on the long table.
Liang Ge and Teacher Haiqing stood on opposite sides, their eyes shining as they gazed at the scroll.
“This is the ‘Spring Snow on the Cold River’ by Baishi Weng of the Ming Dynasty! It’s his late work, with a very distinctive style, painted on Korean tribute paper! This is a priceless authentic piece!”
“Legend says this painting was destroyed in that great calamity, but it turns out it was preserved and passed down in the fat boss’s family. This is a blessing for the calligraphy and painting world as well as collectors!”
Both turned to Master San and said simultaneously, “A treasure!”
Master San said nothing but glanced at me.
I nodded and walked to the table. “May I take a look?”
The fat boss looked at me with contempt. “He’s half blind. What can he possibly see?”
Liang Ge scolded me with a stern face. “Stone, don’t interfere! Your shallow skills will only embarrass my master here!”
Teacher Haiqing sneered coldly. “Wearing sunglasses and thinking you’re some big shot? Can you read the inscription here? If you touch or damage it by mistake, can you afford the compensation?”
I smiled slightly and said, “Don’t worry. I’m only looking and won’t touch the painting or calligraphy. I won’t dirty it.”
Master San sipped his tea and said calmly, “Let him see.”
That simple sentence silenced the three of them.
The fat boss’s face darkened, and he whispered to me, “You can look, but if you talk nonsense, I won’t let you off!”
I ignored him and turned to Master San. “Master San, I want to take off my sunglasses.”
Master San’s expression grew somewhat excited. He sat up straight and asked, “Are you confident?”
I answered seriously, “I don’t know, but I want to try.”
Usually composed, Master San took a deep breath and nodded at me.
I removed my sunglasses. The fat boss and the others looked at my left eye with disdain and mockery.
Wenliang sneered, “Just a show-off!”
I raised my right hand to cover my right eye and stared at the painting with the left eye that had gone blind the moment it was used.
A minute later, I straightened up and slowly said to Master San, “Master San, this painting is not an antique!”